Print model that allows direct job submission to physical printer objects while preserving job defaulting, validation and scheduling

Abstract

A print model is provided that supports job submission to either physical or logical printer objects while preserving job defaulting, validation, and scheduling. According to one aspect of the present invention physical printers, e.g., objects representing the capabilities of associated output devices, may be the target of print job submissions. When a print job is received at a physical printer, an association is created between the print job and the physical printer. Then, the print job is routed from the physical printer to a predetermined logical printer, e.g., an object representing an abstract set of job and output device capabilities. According to another aspect of the present invention, an improved print server includes multiple physical printer objects that may serve as targets of print job submissions. The physical printer objects each correspond to an associated output device and each include an attribute that identifies a logical printer object, if any, through which print jobs may flow to the physical printer object. Additionally, each physical printer object is configured to create an association between print jobs submitted to the physical printer object and the physical printer object. Furthermore, each physical printer object is configured to transfer the print jobs to the logical printer object identified by the attribute. The print server also includes one or more logical printer objects. The logical printer objects are coupled to the physical printer objects and are configured to schedule the print jobs on the physical printer objects with which the print jobs are associated.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method of processing print jobs comprising the steps of: 
       receiving a print job at a physical printer, the physical printer representing capabilities of an associated output device;  
       creating an association between the print job and the physical printer; and  
       routing the print job from the physical printer to a predetermined logical printer representing an abstract set of job and output device capabilities.  
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the output device comprises a printer. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the output device comprises a copier. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the output device comprises a plotter. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the output device comprises a facsimile machine. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the output device comprises a microfilm/microfiche generator. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the physical printer has an attribute that identifies a logical printer, if any, through which print jobs may flow to the physical printer and wherein the step of routing the print job from the physical printer to a predetermined logical printer comprises transferring the print job to the logical printer identified by the attribute of the physical printer. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a queue associated with the physical printer has information indicative of a logical printer, if any, through which jobs may flow to the physical printer and wherein the step of routing the print job from the physical printer to a predetermined logical printer comprises the steps of: 
       the physical printer querying the queue for the information indicative of the logical printer; and  
       the physical printer transferring the print job to the logical printer.  
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a mapping is maintained which contains information indicative of a logical printer, if any, through which jobs may flow to the physical printer and wherein the step of routing the print job from the physical printer to a predetermined logical printer comprises the physical printer transferring the print job to the logical printer based upon the mapping. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the print job includes an attribute that identifies one or more physical printers as candidates for printing the job, and wherein the step of creating an association between the print job and the physical printer comprises setting the attribute in the print job to a name of the physical printer. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of validating the print job by comparing one or more attribute values associated with the print job with attributes values supported by the predetermined logical printer and the physical printer. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of assigning values to one or more job attributes or document attributes that are unspecified, the values based upon information associated with the predetermined logical printer. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of transferring the print job to a queue for scheduling. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the output device comprises a hard copy printer, and wherein the method further comprising the steps of: 
       receiving the print job at the physical printer; and  
       preparing a document associated with the print job for output by creating a data stream supported by the hard copy printer.  
     
     
       15. A method of processing a print job comprising the steps of: 
       receiving a print job at a physical printer, the physical printer representing capabilities of an associated output device, the physical printer including an attribute that identifies a logical printer to which the physical printer is assigned, if any;  
       creating an association between the print job and the physical printer;  
       routing the print job to the logical printer identified by the attribute of the physical printer;  
       validating the print job; and  
       transferring the print job to a queue for scheduling.  
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the print job includes an attribute that identifies one or more physical printers as candidates for printing the job, and wherein the step of creating an association between the print job and the physical printer comprises setting the attribute in the print job to the name of the physical printer. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the output device comprises a printer. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the output device comprises a copier. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the output device comprises a plotter. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the output device comprises a facsimile machine. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the output device comprises a microfilm/microfiche generator. 
     
     
       22. A print server comprising: 
       a plurality of physical printer objects each corresponding to an associated output device, each of the physical printer objects including an attribute that identifies a logical printer object, if any, through which print jobs may flow to the physical printer object, each of the physical printer objects are configured to create an association between print jobs submitted to the physical printer object and the physical printer object and configured to transfer the print jobs to the logical printer object identified by the attribute; and  
       one or more logical printer objects coupled to the plurality of physical printer objects, the one or more logical printer objects configured to schedule the print jobs on the physical printer object with which the print jobs are associated.  
     
     
       23. The print server of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more logical printer objects are further configured to validate the print jobs by comparing one or more attribute values associated with the print jobs to attributes supported by one or more of the plurality of physical printers. 
     
     
       24. The print server of  claim 23 , wherein each of the print jobs include an attribute for identifying a physical printer of the plurality of physical printers as the desired physical printer for printing the jobs, and wherein creating the associations between the print jobs and the physical printer objects involves setting the attribute in the print job to a name of the physical printer object. 
     
     
       25. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions, said sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of: 
       receiving a print job at a physical printer, the physical printer representing capabilities of an associated output device;  
       creating an association between the print job and the physical printer; and  
       routing the print job from the physical printer to a predetermined logical printer representing an abstract set of job and output device capabilities.  
     
     
       26. The machine-readable medium of  claim 25 , wherein the physical printer has an attribute that identifies a logical printer to which the physical printer is assigned, if any, and wherein the step of routing the print job from the physical printer to a predetermined logical printer comprises transferring the print job to the logical printer identified by the attribute of the physical printer. 
     
     
       27. The machine-readable medium of  claim 25 , wherein the print job includes an attribute that identifies one or more physical printers as candidates for printing the job, and wherein the step of creating an association between the print job and the physical printer comprises setting the attribute in the print job to a name of the physical printer. 
     
     
       28. The machine-readable medium of  claim 25 , wherein said sequences of instructions further cause said processor to perform the step of validating the print job by comparing one or more attribute values associated with the print job with attributes values supported by the predetermined logical printer and the physical printer. 
     
     
       29. The machine-readable medium of  claim 25 , wherein said sequences of instructions further cause said processor to perform the step of assigning values to one or more job attributes or document attributes that are unspecified, the values based upon information associated with the predetermined logical printer. 
     
     
       30. The machine-readable medium of  claim 25 , wherein said sequences of instructions further cause said processor to perform the step of transferring the print job to a queue for scheduling. 
     
     
       31. The machine-readable medium of  claim 25 , wherein the output device comprises a hard copy printer, and wherein said sequences of instructions further cause said processor to perform the steps of: 
       receiving the print job at the physical printer; and  
       preparing a document associated with the print job for output by creating a data stream supported by the hard copy printer.  
     
     
       32. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions, said sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of: 
       receiving a print job at a physical printer, the physical printer representing capabilities of an associated output device, the physical printer including an attribute that identifies a logical printer, if any, through which print jobs may flow to the physical printer;  
       creating an association between the print job and the physical printer;  
       routing the print job to the logical printer identified by the attribute of the physical printer;  
       validating the print job; and  
       transferring the print job to a queue for scheduling.  
     
     
       33. The machine-readable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the print job includes an attribute that identifies one or more physical printers as candidates for printing the job, and wherein the step of creating an association between the print job and the physical printer comprises setting the attribute in the print job to a name of the physical printer.